Cope garden team ‘disappointed and angry’ by Harrison Square vandalism

LIVING Lerwick will pay to have its damaged flowers replaced at Harrison Square following vandalism over the weekend. 

Project manager Emma Miller said its team had invited the person or persons responsible to do so themselves as an “apology to the community”.

But she said she “can’t see whoever did this being responsible enough to admit to their own foolish actions.”

Cope chief executive Steven Coutts said its garden team, who had “put such effort into the planters”, were “naturally disappointed and angry” by the damage.

He said the garden team has offered to help Living Lerwick to replace the dead flowers in the coming weeks.

Damage was caused to the flowers between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Living Lerwick has since reported the incident to the police.

Miller said that while it was actually Shetland Islands Council (SIC) that owned the Lerwick seating area, the local authority had no budget to look after it.

She added Living Lerwick had paid to have the flowers planted and maintained over the last two years, with Cope helping to keep the area looking bright and colourful.

Living Lerwick also asked the SIC to repair the roof section of the wheelchair access seat since it was damaged by weather last January, Miller said, but the town centre organisation is still waiting for that work.